“Fowl Love”
Sermon for MCC
New Haven
March 3, 2013
Rev. Brian
Hutchison, M.Div.
Have
you ever seen a cartoon or a movie where two kids decide that one get on the
other’s shoulders, and then put on a costume (maybe a sheet with two holes) to
appear as a ghost or as a disguise?
Sometimes they do it to scare their friends. Other times, they do it to scare away the “bad guy.” Other times they are posing as an adult
to get away with doing something they’re not supposed to. Regardless, the
strategy usually works and the kids rejoice at their success. Strangely, I’m
reminded of this by today’s Gospel reading. I’ll tell you why in a few minutes; just remember that
image.
In the
Gospel reading, King Herod is not present in body, but is certainly present in
power from afar. He had beheaded John
the Baptist, so Jesus knew what evil he was capable of. Jesus names Herod as a
fox (because foxes are known to by sly and cunning in hunting their prey, not
because Jesus thought he was foxy).
Whether in actual concern for Jesus or as a scare tactic, the Pharisees
tell Jesus to go away because Herod wants to kill him. But this kind of fearful language did
not stop Jesus from doing the ministry he was called to do.
Rather,
Jesus’ mood changes. He becomes
both sad and angry at once. He is
saddened and frustrated by the fact that as hard as he tried to help people
throughout Israel, the religious leaders were suspect of him. Jesus was too loud, too effective, and
proclaimed too much truth for the Pharisees’ taste. And though Jesus was not pleased- to say the least- by the
Pharisees’ attempt at disheartening him in his efforts, Jesus does not snarl back.
Jesus does not threaten death, harm, or hell.
Instead,
Jesus did as he taught; he stood in resistance. He paints a picture of himself as a mother hen- … a somewhat
unexpected, yet powerful Feminine Divine image (one that is actually used
several times throughout the Hebrew Bible, except the bird is usually an eagle,
not a chicken; we all know what it means to call someone “chicken”!). Jesus says, “How many times I wanted to
put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you would not let me!”
Jesus is recognizing here the limitations of his bodily presence on
earth. He could only visit so many
people. He could only preach the
Good News in so many places.
But
what Jesus says next shows the power of God beyond Jesus’ bodily presence. He says, “And so your Temple will be
abandoned.” This was a strong
statement considering that the Temple was the center of life for the religious
leaders. (Could you imagine going
up to the Pope and telling him that the Vatican would be abandoned?) Jesus is
telling the Pharisees that there are dire consequences to being complacent or predatory
instead of being resistant to oppression by defending the most vulnerable of
society. He is essentially saying,
“If you do not defend ALL of your people, your structure of power will fall.” And guess what happened: by the time
the Gospel of Luke was written, the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem and the
Temple in the year 70 (about 40 years after Jesus’ death). So Luke knew how history played out for
the religious leaders of Jesus’ time.
And
Luke also knew how history played out for the Christ-followers as well. The author of the Gospel of Luke also
wrote the Book of Acts, which explains the life of the early church. Luke knew how the Holy Spirit was
recognized by those in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost. He knew that this Jesus, who called himself
“Mother Hen” in bodily form, would return soon as the dove of the Holy Spirit to surround them with spiritual wings of shelter.
I
had the opportunity in 2010 to attend Equality Maryland’s Lobby Day in
Annapolis. Hundreds of activists
for LGBT equality came together to present the truth of our lives and the lives
of those we love and care for to our legislators. I joined with folks from my district to plan what we would
say to our delegates. Fortunately,
our delegates not only supported LGBT equality, they sponsored bills on our
behalf. So we simply reaffirmed
our stance and thanked our delegates for taking a stand for our community.
However,
there was a transgender woman who had come from a rural part of Maryland who
didn’t have anyone else with her from her district. She explained that she could not dress as a female in public
where she lived because she does not “pass” well. She was fearful about facing her conservative, anti-LGBT
delegates, so several of the people from my district volunteered to go with her
to face her delegates. Sadly,
after mustering up enough courage to face them, and making an appointment with
them, they did not show up. They
didn’t even have the decency to make the appointment.
So
our delegates had a plan: stand outside of their door and wait for them to come
out. When they come out, the
transwoman would simply express to them her disappointment at their not
showing. Also, she would express
to them how she was afraid to meet them- because it speaks volumes to say that
a delegate’s constituents are afraid of them. I didn’t hear what ended up happening, but this reminds me
very much of the Gospel story.
When
threatened by the oppressive stance of the anti-LGBT delegates, the baby chicks
were frightened at first. Their
Mother Hen with her wide embrace cannot be seen- She is Spirit. So they decided to take her form, to
become members of one Body. They
recognized strength in numbers. So
they got on each other’s shoulders- so to speak- and threw on a big hen costume
to face the fox. Yes, they
trembled under that costume, but they had the assurance that they had each
other.
To
many of us, the fox has been the institutional church. The church has proclaimed so many
hurtful things that have done spiritual damage to many of us. In resistance to such “Bible abuse”,
MCC formed in order to become a large hen of many chicks. Fortunately, this resistance has scared
away the fox many times (though unfortunately, not every time). We value MCC because as the Body of
God, the Body of Christ, it has been our hiding place. Psalm 27 says, “One thing I ask of God,
that will I seek after: to live in the house of God all the days of my life…
For God will hide me in God’s shelter in the day of trouble; God will conceal
me under the cover of God’s tent…”
We have asked for this, and we have received it. We must also remember, however, that there
are thousands of LGBT people around the world who live in fear, who do not yet
have shelter. Thank God, MCC and
other global efforts are on the way.
Though
we have the assurance that the wings of Christ will forever surround us, we
must never forget that they are there.
As they become a part of our regular existence, it is too easy to take
them for granted. Essex Hemphill was a bold African American gay poet who lived
with HIV and unfortunately died of AIDS in 1995. Essex wrote this in his poem
“Better Days:” “A false safety compels me to think I will never need kindness,
so I don’t recognize that need in someone else.”
I
know that our safety in God’s embrace is not false. But I also know that feeling too safe and being too
comfortable can cause people to close up and become non-receptive to those who reach
out in love. I’m sure you’ve heard
many a person say, “I’m fine just the way I am, thank you!” With this mentality, it is difficult to
then see others’ need for a loving word or an act of kindness.
After
describing God as Divine Shelter, the Psalmist writes, “Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in God’s tent sacrifices with
shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to God… ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘
seek God’s face!’ Your face, O God, do I seek.” The Psalmist is giving us the next step on the spiritual
path. After resisting, after
taking shelter and allowing our wounds to heal, we let our heads rise above the
voices of intolerance and oppression.
And in allowing our little baby chic heads to rise, we see the many
faces around the world. The faces
that when put together form the face of God. This is the face that we seek. This is the face that calls us, scars and all, to be healers
of our world. Today and each week,
we hold sacred safe space as the Great Chicken Wings for all who seek refuge. Join
me in gathering the chicks to Mother Christ! Amen.
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